Sleigh



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ZBORNIK, OF OLD MISSION, IOWA.

'SLEIGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,597, dated August9, 1881.

Application filed April 6, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ZBORNIK, of Old Mission, Fayette county, Iowa,have invented a new and uset'ulImprovement in Light Sleighs, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish an 1 easy-riding andeasy-running sleigh, with the runners so arranged that. they willconform to the unevenness ofthcroads withoutstrain upon the runners orbox, and will run withoutjolting or bumping over the roughest roads. Iattain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of thesleigh, and Fig. 2 a rear elevation.

The runners A, instead of resting on the ground the full length, beginto curve upward at about the center a in a gradual curve until at b theyare about twoinches above the plane of the rear end of the runner. Thisconstruction allows the sleigh to be more easily turned than when theentire length of the runner rests on the ground.

A hub, B, is fixed to the upper part of the runner, aboutone-third ofthe length 01' the runner from the rear end.

The sleigh-box 0 is of the ordinary construe tion; but, instead of beingrigidly attached to the runners, it has an axle, D, fasten ed to it, asnearly as possible beneath the center of gravity of the box whenloaded,by means ofsprings E. The runners are placed on this axle thesame as wheels on a cart, and are entirely independent of each other.

The tongue or thills F are rigidly attached to the front of thesleigh-box (J, and firmly (No model.)

braced by braces 61. The tongue or thills serve to keep the box O fromtippingeither backward or forward, while, the center of gravity being asnearlyas possible over the axle, there is but little strain on them.

Heretofore such sleighs have been constructed with the runners rigidlyattached to the body ofthe sleigh, with the tongue or shafts attached bya flexible joint, so as to allow the runners to accommodate themselvesto the inequalities of the road. These sleighs in passing over any roughor uneven places in the road jump and jar the occupant, as the body ofthe sleigh must necessarily partake of all the movements of the runners.

In mysleigh the runners, upon meeting with an obstruction or depressionin the road, rise or descend, as the case may be, without com municating thejerking or pitching to the body of the sleigh, which bymeans of the tongue or 'thills is kept in nearly a level position, whilethe springs convert the up-and-down movements into an easyundnlation,makingit much more comfortable and easy riding fortheoccupants and also easier work for the horses.

